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Release, let go, and flow… these words have come up for me as consistent (and persistent) guidance throughout my whole life. I’ve gotten this message from my own intuition, from those I have sought out for advice, from teachers, friends, and family. I’ve been on a mission for years to learn how to let go because frankly, I haven’t been very good at. The frustrating question that always came up was “How? How do I let go?” I always wanted to figure it out with my intellect and this pretty much got me nowhere. If anything, it left me even more contracted, tense and panicked. Over the years I’ve had my eyes open for tools because I’ve discovered that usually my mind is the very place where all this “holding-on” begins. If it’s something I’ve been holding for a long time, it has probably settled into my body somewhere, and if I’m really unconscious of it then it’s running me around emotionally and fueling some of my worst habits. I’ve learned that letting go for me often requires giving my mind something productive and helpful to do so I can get out of my own way, or getting out of my mind altogether via some sort of physical activity. Here is a list of 5 tools I’ve gathered that help me release, let go, and flow:

1. Exercise: Maybe you’re the kind of person who sees this at the top of the list and says “great! That’s easy!” Well… that’s not me. I’ve tried to work around this tool for years, but the truth is when I’m stuck in my head, feeling backed into corners, tense, anxious or just plain uninspired… moving my body always helps me let go and get back into flow.

2. Yoga: I know this may seem like it should be lumped in with exercise and it is wonderful exercise, but it deserves it’s own slot on my list because there is something particularly cleansing and magical about yoga. I’ve found it to be a great tool for wringing out old, stuck emotions. It’s not uncommon to find myself in a yoga class suddenly welling up with tears that are gone just a few moments later. That’s a release… and it always feels amazingly good.

3. Ho’oponopono: This is an Hawaiian forgiveness and cleansing practice that I learned via Jennifer McLean on www.healingwiththemasters.com and Marci Schimoff in her book Happy for No Reason. I loved the simplicity of this mantra, and I can tell you from experience that it’s a powerful practice that truly heals relationships and difficult situations. If you are having trouble letting go of a grievance and need to unplug your energy from a draining dynamic, this is a beautiful tool to use. It doesn’t matter if you feel wronged or if you are in the wrong. Think about the person or situation and repeat these 4 statements: I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you. Do this for a few minutes when you feel irritation or outrage surfacing or do it every day around any situation that feels unresolved, stuck, or difficult. I’ve had miraculous results from using this tool. The first time I used it I focused on a relationship that had been troublesome for years. It was difficult to connect with this person and there were lots of misunderstandings, layers of hurt feelings, and plenty of “button pushing” behaviors on both sides. It made spending time together draining, frustrating or both. I started doing the ho’oponopono practice with this relationship in my mind. Within 24 hours I received a truly heart-felt email from this person expressing gratitude and love for me. It opened a dialogue that we had never been able to have before, and since then our relationship has grown more compassionate and much less strained. This tool absolutely clears away energetic cords and heals. I highly recommend it!

4. The Sedona Method®: I was introduced to this method several years ago and have found it easy and helpful when I’m struggling to let go of anxiety or working through resistance. It’s designed to help you let go. I would recommend checking out this link to their blog The Sedona Method® where there are videos that explain and lead you through the process. Basically it consists of 4 questions to ask yourself: Could I allow myself to welcome this: (feeling, emotion, situation, etc)? Could I let it go? Would I let it go (if I could)? When? It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no to the 1st 3 questions. The last answer is “now”. It’s remarkably simple, but I’ve been amazed at the results and I use it all the time. Experimenting with this has taught me about contracted and expanded energy and helped me become more aware of where I’m opening up and where I’m constricting in my life.

5. Tapping or EFT: Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is another super easy method that you can use to release tension in the body, emotions, thought patterns, belief systems, etc. I would definitely recommend watching an instructional video. Check out http://thetappingsolution.com/2013VideoSeries/?page_id=17. Basically the method instructs you to “tap” with your fingertips 9 different meridian points on your body as you focus on whatever issue you want to release. The set up phrase is: “Even though I have this (pain, stress, fear… whatever), I deeply and completely accept myself.” You repeat this phrase as you tap the points and my experience is that it’s possible to feel immediate relief. Again, this is easy to learn, and it can be used for just about anything you want to release.

These 5 tools are some of my favorite go-to’s when I’m feeling contracted, anxious, stuck, feeling pain in my body, or just suffering from some drama in my life. I’ve had great results with all of them. I hope you find them helpful too! Many Blessings! xo